Welcome to Virginia's Alleghany Highlands

One of Virginia's most pristine mountain landscapes, the Alleghany Highlands of Bath and Highland Counties are a place lightly trod by humans. More than 80% of Bath County's landscape remains covered in forest, and half of its acreage is on protected land. Nearly 25% of Highland County is owned by the George Washington National Forest, and both counties are rich with outdoor recreation and stunning mountain scenery that includes long vistas of wooded ridgelines and sweeping pastoral valleys.

This is a land forgotten by time. Once the hunting grounds of the Seneca and Shawnee, then the home of hardy Scotch-Irish and German pioneers, the land here looks much as it did 100 years ago. Country stores line the roadsides and still represent an integral part of community life. Towns here are close-knit, and neighbors know each other by name.

Many of the region's families have been here for generations, while newcomers have found a welcoming and promising place for growing small businesses, finding a family getaway, or easing into retirement. Agriculture and tourism are the backbone of the Highlands' economy and make for a place untouched by industrialism or sprawl.

Both the Bath County Chamber of Commerce and the Highland County Chamber of Commerce provide relocation assistance as well as resources for small business assistance to new residents of Virginia's Allegheny Mountains.

Come for a visit. You just might find everything you dreamed right here in the Virginia Highlands.

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